Britain's First Modern Tank | Operation Sentry - The First Centurion Trials 1945 Part 1 (Reupload)

New tanks need to be designed, tested, and deployed carefully. Even with the pressures of war taken into account, the process should be methodical to ensure that mechanically reliable vehicles with good fighting characteristics and survivability get to the front line. The United Kingdom, in particular, had by 1945, suffered terribly economically, industrially, and with bombing of its civilians during World War 2. This, combined with the need to produce a large number of tanks to field against the Germans and their allies, had all contrived to hinder the design and production of new tanks. In particular, by 1943, there was a desire to have a good cruiser tank, well protected and fielding the excellent 17 pounder gun.
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Sources:
Report 38/TECH L1A/2/5, 21st Army Group British Liberation Army, AFV Technical Report No.26, June 1945
War Office Doc. 291. ‘Tank Data’
Dunstan, S. (2003). Centurion Universal Tank 1943 - 2003. Osprey New Vanguard. Osprey Publishing UK.
Dunstan, S. (2020). British Battle Tanks 1946-2016. Osprey Publishing, UK
Dunstan, S. (1980). Centurion. Ian Allen Publishing, UK
Ware, P. (2012). Images of War Special: The Centurion Tank. Pen and Sword Military, UK
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An article by Andrew Hills
Narrated by Mark Fairclough
Edited by Dieseldodi

[@YARROWS9]

What the hell was it with Britain in WW2. Excellent tank near the end of the War. Jet fighter near end of the war. First class battleship. End of the war.

[@jobsavage246]

Music is a little bit too loud, you can still hear the narrator it’s just a little distracting. Other than that, very good narration, imagery, and information.

[@bluecalx9229]

Music is very loud and distracting. Also very out of place, I don't tend to associate the Portal 2 soundtrack with tanks and history.

[@pyeitme508]

Why re-upload?

[@rvail136]

Like the Cromwell, Comet, the Centurion was 2 years too late to make a huge impact on WW2. Had the Cromwell been introduced in 1942 It would have upset the balance of power in Africa as a game changing tank. Instead it was introduced in 1944 and was a mediocre tank. The Comet was introduced in late 1944...and was barely equal to the the Panther, and equal to the Pz IV J....again, almost 2 years too late. If the Centurion had been introduced even 1 year earlier and been in mass production in late 1944, it would have been a HUGE game changer. Be that as it may, it is still in use in several dozen countries (South Africa uses heavily modified Olifants today). In WW2 the Brits were very slow in producing tanks to counter anything the Germans produced. They reacted instead of trying to produce something better before the Germans could.

[@howardchambers9679]

I wonder if the situation on the home Island could have something to do with that? Resources were very limited and better to build a tank that works than one that might not. By 1942 the Ariel bombardment eased and the Atlantic war was being won. No coincidence that what was to become the centurion was being developed in 1942 don't you think?

[@EddietheBastard]

There were a lot of reasons - the loss of much of our armour in france, invasion fears, the opening of hostilities in the Med, and then the far east meant little capacity for the new - it was felt that any tank now beat a good tank tomorrow - there was also the 'railway transport' regulation which limited tank design until A41 and A43

[@royal-arsenal-history]

I’m scanning in thousands of negatives of vehicles, tanks etc. from the saved Royal Arsenal collection. You say the first prototypes were built by Royal Arsenal Woolwich (ROF Woolwich) I have scanned a photo of two Centurion tanks recently with ROF(W) 1 and ROF(W) 2 markings outside the Brass foundry (cannon foundry) in c1945 Index No. T.351700 and T.351701. Someone also recently sent in a photo their grandad had of a WW2 tank assembly in what we have identified as inside building C3 with a row of 9/10 centurion tanks on the right hand side of the photo fading into the distance. This would have been highly classified at the time as we were at war. The closest tank in the photo has the number 16 on it. I’m currently restoring this photo as it has multiple fold marks and slightly damaged in places over the years. I would assume these are the prototypes of the centurion A.41. Can someone confirm how many prototypes the royal Arsenal Woolwich built? I have various photos in the larger Royal Arsenal gun factories of main line centurion production. I’ll be sharing these on RAH once restoration is complete and would like to know as much information on these first prototypes as possible.

[@eleks12]

Why Reupload?

[@keithwalker3460]

the BESA is 7.92 MM

[@Crescent-gh9sg]

Anyone know where you can find information on the Centurion mk2? I've only been able to find some basic info due to the limited production and later conversion into mk 3s.

[@NoobNoobNews]

By the end of the war, both the usa and Britain had tank tech far better than Germany's best... it really is amazing.

[@EddietheBastard]

When did design work start on the 20pdr - and was the ability to mount it factored into centurion's design?

[@vermillion.__-_.]

Thats crazy if they built some in Notts!!id love to find some old hulls or something aha

[@jp-um2fr]

I joined the MOD as an engineering apprentice at Chobham in Sept 1961. The Cent was still in service. Chertsey had just finished the first Chieftain. Unfortunately, 'Red Robbo' and British Leyland totally destroyed the manufacture of its L60 engine. The UK no longer can produce tanks. Royal Ordinance factories and any research facilities such as Chobham are also shut. We can't even produce shells. But, what happens when the poo hits the fan ? Hello Comrade, got any vodka ?

[@nalacktack112]

I like your content without music

[@Rich.Aardvark]

My grandad work on the design of this. In Egypt apparently. I have one of his diary's from the time.

[@garyhill2740]

Are there any good books about the Mk I Centurion and Operation Sentry? Most books I find largely skip over this and begin with the Mk III Centurion.

[@davewolfy2906]

Get rid of the ridiculous racket, it is not in the background.

[@o80y1]

Love the Portal music lol

[@Paciat]

1:04 Panther wasnt a medium tank. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eofHhnanrZWio9k

[@gamecks1539]

Then why wasn't it deployed in sperate battalions/brigades like Tiger? If it were a "heavy tank" would it not be put into a "Schwere Panzer Abteilung" with the rest of them? Rather than being fielded in the same battalions as Panzer III and IV? As clearly stated in the MHV video you linked the definition changes, even in German sources. But it all comes down to use. If Panther were fielded in the numbers the Germans actually wanted to have them in it most certainly would have been a replacement for Panzer IV/III and therefore a medium tank.

[@stormjensen1]

The music is annoying and brings nothing to justify it's use

[@avnrulz8587]

The tank would match the Panther, while the Tiger is being fielded.

[@josephahner3031]

Panther was more effective than tiger 1...

[@inzana2]

That music, no thanks couldn't watch